50 Things to Put You in an Instant Good Mood

Glamour Health and Fitness

http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/2010/12/50-things-to-put-you-in-an-instant-good-mood#slide=1

Your Get-Happy Checklist

These research-backed mood boosters come straight from your friends in white lab coats. They know what works!

Exercise

Why is this our first tip? Because it’s the number-one secret experts give for getting happier, fast. Some studies say it’s just as good as antidepressants! Even a single workout (cardio, strength training, yoga—take your pick) can give you a boost, relieving stress and releasing feel-good endorphins. For motivation, call your gym bag your “happy bag.”

Eat Breakfast

It will prevent grumpiness and help you perform. No, a single cup of coffee (or tea or soda) does not count.

Speak Up

“Being assertive enhances self-confidence and shuts down feelings of helplessness,” says Elizabeth Lombardo, Ph.D., the author of A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness. Plus, there’s that little perk of actually getting what you want!

Do Less

“So many people think, If I do more, then I’ll be happier,” says celebrity life coach Sherri Ziff Lester. “There’s too much doing. We need to do more nothing—just take time to be.”

Focus on Making Memories

Researchers found that 57 percent of people reported they were happier when they spent money on an experience (like a vacation or a class), while only 34 percent reported being happier after buying stuff.

Go Outside

Remember that big room? With the blue roof and the fresh air? Sometimes the floor is green? Just five minutes walking in the great outdoors has beneficial effects. Notice we said “walking,” not “walking and texting.”

Hug It Out

“It’s critical to have some kind of physical affection in your life,” says psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., author of The How of Happiness. “It doesn’t have to be a hug. It’s about the power of touch.”